1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to minimizing mercury condensation in dual layer fluorescent lamps. More particularly, this invention relates to minimizing mercury condensation on the inside surface of the glass envelope of a fluorescent lamp which comprises a glass envelope enclosing electrodes and a discharge sustaining fill of mercury and an ionizable inert gas and having a first layer comprising a mixture of particles of a phosphor and alumina disposed on the inner surface of said envelope and a second layer of phosphor particles having an average particle size smaller than that of said phosphor in said first layer disposed on said first layer, wherein the average size of said alumina particles in said first layer is less than that of said phosphor in said first layer, but not less than about one-half micron, to inhibit said mercury from depositing onto said inner surface of said envelope.
2. Background of the Disclosure
Fluorescent lamps having two layers of phosphor with one layer superimposed or disposed on the other are well known and old to those skilled in the art. Two different layers are generally employed to improve phosphor maintenance and lumen output, to reduce overall phosphor cost, or both. In many of the high color rendering premium types of fluorescent lamps commercially available today, the first layer of phosphor will be a relatively inexpensive phosphor which emits a white light, such as a calcium halophosphate activated with antimony and manganese, with the second layer of phosphor which is superimposed over the first layer containing substantially more expensive high color rendering red, blue and green color-emitting phosphors. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,088,923 and 4,806,824 disclose a fluorescent lamp having a dual layer phosphor coating wherein the base layer is a conventional calcium halophosphate phosphor on top of which is superimposed a layer of phosphor comprising a mixture of three different phosphors which produce red, blue and green color emission. U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,998 discloses an example of such a triphosphor layer comprising a mixture of blue, green and red color emitting phosphors. Yet other examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,941.
More recently it has been found that if the median particle size of the phosphor particles in the top or second coat is smaller than the median particle size of the phosphor particles in the base or first coat which is disposed adjacent the inner surface of the glass envelope, a problem occurs with regard to mercury passing through the two phosphor layers and condensing on the inside surface of the lamp glass envelope in the form of droplets and agglomerations or blotches of mercury. While this phenomenon has not resulted in any noticeable color change or lumen loss, it has resulted in customer dissatisfaction due to its appearance which some object to as unsightly. Consequently, there is a need to overcome this problem.